Letter to President Droupadi Murmu on India’s 75th Anniversary of Independence
On India’s 75th anniversary of independence, writers and creatives urge Indian President Droupadi Murmu to defend free expression in India. More
India at 75 | Contributors N – R
Authors from India and the Indian diaspora reflect on the state of free expression in India in its 75th year of independence. More
PEN America’s Commitment to Health and Safety at the 2021 PEN America Literary Gala
Updated Sept. 21, 2021 To protect all in attendance, PEN America will enforce a robust set of health and safety measures for the 2021 PEN America Literary Gala in New… More
PEN America Speaks: How We Defended Free Expression This Week
PEN America works tirelessly to defend free expression, support persecuted writers, and promote literary culture. Here are some of the latest ways PEN America is speaking out. Week of November… More
Remember This: On Celes Tisdale’s “When the Smoke Cleared: Attica Prison Poems and Journal”
Malcolm Tariq reviews Celes Tisdale's "When the Smoke Cleared: Attica Prison Poems and Journal" (Duke University Press, 2022). More
The PEN Ten: An Interview with Kristín Ómarsdóttir
I was inspired by our contemporary times and the growing possibility of this world's end. The story is told from some distance, from the future. It tells of events… More
Spiegelman, Atwood Among Signers of PEN America Letter Against Missouri Book Bans
Art Spiegelman, Margaret Atwood, Neil Gaiman, Lois Lowry, Roxane Gay, Rupi Kaur, and Alison Bechdel are among the authors and illustrators who signed a PEN America open letter protesting… More
The PEN Ten: An Interview with Cynthia Dewi Oka
To question something is to refuse its inevitability; to me that is one way we exercise our humanity in the face of inhumane conditions. More
Universities Must Prioritize Both Campus Safety and Free Speech as Complementary, Not Competing Imperatives
During the past month, two public universities dealt with campus confrontations involving controversial speakers, student protesters, and apparent members of the Proud Boys, an organization heavily implicated in the… More
The PEN Ten: An Interview with John Weir
It’s terrible to be turned into a human interest story on the nightly news, particularly when the story is about fear and hatred and death and survival. More
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“Around the country, countless Americans are suffering a very particular type of Covid grief — a mixture of anger, sorrow and shame that comes with losing a loved one who has consumed social media falsehoods.”
[email protected] and @jodipicoult have both faced book bans in the U.S. #BannedBooks stifle speech — especially around race, gender, American history, and LGBTQ+ identities. Join Jenny and Jodi in supporting PEN America's work defending the freedom to read: https://donorbox.org/2022-year-end-book-bans-jj
I spoke up against Musk and now my email inbox is filled with harassing emails and people are threatening me on socials. I won't be intimidated and I will continue to speak out against hate.